All You Have To Do Is Cry
by NotAboutNightingales
Summary: And on this night, he was her protector. Set after Bloodbath. McGee/Abby. Completed fic, will post 1 chapter per day.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:**I don't own either Abby or McGee, but life would be a lot more fun if I did. Lucky Don Bellasario.

I watched Bloodbath again, and just decided that I needed to throw in my own take on McGee and Abby's night together. I know it's been done before, but the fic wasn't letting up until I wrote it.

The title is a lyric in the song Closer by Joshua Radin. I highly recommend it. On to the McAbby...

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Abby was only hearing one side of McGee's conversation with Gibbs, and she knew the boss man was pissed.

"Boss, she opened the door though"

"Yes, I know she wasn't supposed to be alone but"

"You're right, I shouldn't have left her…"

"I told her specifically before I left not to…"

"No, I had my gun on me…"

"Yes, she was unarmed, although she tried to use my antique typewriter as a weapon"

"No, it's not the point."

"Yes, I know I left her, but Abby can fend for herself."

"She nearly killed me with the top of my toilet tank!"

"I already called metro and they're patrolling the area"

"Morrison and Davis are both outside right now, they're remaining there all night."

"Hold on…"

And there it was. Her cue. McGee appeared seconds later, his hand cupped over the mouthpiece of the phone. He looked like he had just taken a beating, and considering the fact that it had only been a phone conversation, she knew that Gibbs wasn't going to be happy.

McGee stood idly by, choosing to ignore the remains of his typewriter and instead listened to Abby's conversation with a very irate Gibbs.

"Hi Gibbs, how ya.."

"Gibbs I'm sorry."

"I know I should have listened to him, but…"

"It wasn't entirely McGee's fault…"

At that McGee perked up. 'Wasn't entirely McGee's fault?' Had she really just said that? Did he honestly just hear those words come out of her mouth? If anything, the fault was her own. First her stupid toothbrush. And then her inability to follow the simplest of instructions. She was seriously on the phone with Gibbs attempting to defend herself by throwing him under the bus. He was livid. And when he was livid, he could easily calm himself down by free writing. But again, thanks to Abby, he couldn't do that either. So instead, he fumed quietly as he double-checked the lock on the door. And the windows. And by the time she got off the phone with Gibbs, he could only utter one word when she started speaking.

"Bed."

"Gibbs told me to remind you to…"

"Bed."

"To do a com check with Morrison and…"

"Bed, NOW Abby."

It was all he could say. He couldn't think to ask her how she was doing, and it was partially because he didn't want to know. Gibbs had been right. He'd failed her. If he hadn't shown up when he had…he didn't want to think about what Mawher could have done. His alibi for the bloodbath had cleared but the investigation was only just beginning. McGee had seen the website, having looked it up while Ziva, Tony and Gibbs had gone to visit the sick bastard. It was beyond disturbing, it was nauseating and McGee had secretly hoped that Gibbs would bring Mawher in…to autopsy. And it was his own fault that Mawher had gotten so close. His own fault that the bastard had put the fear in her eyes, fear that she was refusing to let shine through. So instead of comforting Abby, who was clearly pretending to not be absolutely terrified, he simply stood in the middle of his living room with a steely gaze trained on her.

She didn't feel like a huge argument, but she started one when she turned on her heel and spat back, "I'm not a child, McGee."

Maybe it was the fact that he was mad at himself. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't let out his pent up frustration due to a now severely damaged typewriter. Maybe it was the fact that his quiet Tuesday night had just been turned completely upside down by an unexpected house guest, an unexpected home invasion and an unexpected reaming from Gibbs. Maybe it was a combination of everything that made him blow up at her.

"You know what, you're right. You're not a child. Because even a child knows how to follow the simplest of instructions, like, oh I don't know, don't open the door! But you couldn't even handle that one could you?"

He had followed her into the bedroom and was now standing next to the bed. She didn't even have a chance to rebuke, before his scathing speech continued.

"So let me explain to you, in the simplest terms possible, what you are going to do. You are going to get into this bed, and lie down. And then, you are going to sleep. Do you think you can handle that one, Abs?" he asked, pulling back the comforter and sheets on her side of the bed.

"You know McGee, sometimes you can be a real ass…"

Her response, while well warranted and completely deserved was cut off by the ringing of McGee's cell phone. His eyes didn't leave hers as he picked it up.

Abby climbed into the bed, rolled onto her side and listened as McGee received a sit rep from Agent Morrison. She listened as he gave clear instructions regarding the agents watch post outside his apartment building. He clicked the phone closed when he was finished, grabbed something off of a pile of freshly cleaned clothes in a laundry basket and walked in the bathroom. He was tempted to leave the door open, but knowing he would only be a minute, he closed it and when he emerged his bedroom was dark.

He made his way to his side of the bed, noticing that Abby's back was to him and as he sunk into the soft linens that usually provided him with glorious comfort after a long day, he was met with her harsh tone.

"Thought you were taking the sleeping bag."

He knew she couldn't see the dirty look that he was giving her, just as he hadn't been able to see the smug look that had accompanied her previous statement. So he replied with an equally harsh tone.

"Well, considering that Gibbs'll probably kill me tomorrow, I think I'd like to actually enjoy one last night's rest in my own bed. That alright with you?"

"Fine," she replied curtly.

"Fine," he replied to her reply.

He rolled over, so that his back was to hers and closed his eyes. It had been an exhausting day, and a horribly bad one to boot but the sooner he slept, the sooner it would be over. So he exhaled deeply and prepared to let the unconsciousness take over.

And then he felt her roll over. And shortly after that, she tossed again. And then she pulled the blankets towards her. And then she kicked them off. And then she fluffed her pillows and slammed her head down against them. And then she rolled over again.

And then, McGee had had it.

"Problem, Abs?" he asked sarcastically, not moving from his position.

"Just trying to get comfortable McGee," she responded flatly.

"Well, maybe if you stayed still for longer than five seconds at a time, you might be able to," he said, sighing. Even though he hadn't looked at her, he'd felt the mattress shift. He could tell she was now sitting up and he could feel her death glare boring through him.

"Well, maybe if I wasn't choking to death on the smell of J-Lo glow, I would be able to stay still for longer than five seconds."

"Oh that's it," he muttered as he reached for the light. He flicked it on, sat up and turned to meet her. Death glare, exactly as he'd surmised, but she wasn't expecting what came next. In one fell swoop, McGee reached up and pulled the shirt off of her shoulders. He quickly pulled it free of her arms in the seconds that followed and tossed it clear across the room.

"There," he said, staring at her. "Problem solved. Now go to sleep."

He turned and shut the light and returned to his original position. He sighed deeply as he stared off into the darkness. He hadn't intended on being that forceful, even though he knew that if the circumstances had been different, Abby would have loved the way he had just taken charge. But the circumstances weren't different. Abby was there, in his bed because someone was after her. Someone who he'd failed to protect her from earlier.

He replayed his last actions in his head. He'd heard her inhale sharply when he first pulled the shirt down, and he'd unintentionally looked at her while he was doing it. And in her eyes, he'd seen fear. He himself, Timothy McGee, had frightened her. He was supposed to be her protector and now she was probably terrified of him, too. Gibbs really was going to kill him and he'd be the first to admit, he deserved it.


	2. Chapter 2

There it was again. He'd been trying to ignore the sound, as soft as it had been, coming from the other side of his bed. Anyone else probably wouldn't have heard it. Anyone else would have probably been sound asleep by now if they'd had the day he'd had. But sleep was far from his reach and each time he heard the sound, which was both quiet and deafening at the same time, sleep seemed to move further away from his grasp. That sound, if it continued would keep him up all night.

A little jagged puff of breath being let out, accompanied quickly by a sharp inhalation.

He knew the sound. And it broke his heart to know that he'd been more than partially responsible for her making it. Abby Scuito, tough as nails forensic scientist who once took down a knife-wielding psychopath with nothing but a Caf Pow and some duct tape, was crying. And she was trying desperately to hide it. If she'd been with anyone else, she probably could have. But not with him. Never with him.

And when he heard it again and his heart hurt a little more than the last time, he knew he had to do something. So he gently rolled over and faced her back. Her shoulders were hunched and the curvature of her spine told him that she was curled up in a ball. She was curled up, probably hugging herself as she attempted to hide her tears from the person who had caused them. Upon that realization, his heart hurt a little more than last time.

"Abby…" he said softly, letting her know he was still awake. His tone wasn't harsh as it had been before. He needed her to know that he wasn't angry, just concerned.

But she was still angry and he knew this before she spoke, as her entire body tensed at the sound of his voice.

"Leave me alone, McGee," she responded. Her voice was quiet, and he knew that she hadn't meant for him to hear the sadness that laced it, but he had. And it made him attempt to comfort her once again.

"Abs, I'm sorry," he began, moving closer to her. He wanted to hold her. God, how he'd wanted to hold her. He wanted nothing more than to bury her in his arms and hold her till her tears subsided and until all of her fear was gone. That was what protectors were supposed to do. And this night, he was her protector. He'd failed her once already, but if she just gave him one more chance, he could get it right. He knew he could. He just needed that chance.

However, he was met with something other than a second chance. He was met with a shrill, angry tearful scream from the woman that was only inches away from him.

"Shut up McGee! Shut up and just leave me alone!"

He was sure that nothing could have hurt worse than those words until he heard the sob that followed them. And part of him was screaming at him to grab her and turn her in his arms and let her cry. And if she fought him and he ended up battered and bruised, then that would be that. But his instincts had been wrong earlier and it was his decision to leave her that had led them to this. So he ignored his instinct and instead followed the order that had been shrieked in his general direction. He rolled over, back on to his side with his back to hers. And he simply whispered, "I'm sorry." And he didn't just hope she had heard him; he hoped she believed him.

So Tim lay there, in the darkness of his own bedroom as Abby sobbed next to him. With each sound, he hated himself more for causing her pain, yet he couldn't get the courage to just turn over and be there for her. Eventually her sobs began to die down, and they were replaced with the original sound he'd heard. A jagged exhalation coupled with a short inhalation. And eventually those sounds stopped too, and they were replaced by the sound of steady, even breaths. When he thought it safe, he looked over and his suspicions were correct: she had finally fallen asleep.

And he hated himself. He slammed his head against his pillow, furious at the fact that in his protective custody, he had let Mikel get near her. He hadn't been there to protect her from him when he was in the apartment and he hadn't been there to protect her when he wasn't. Instead, he'd taken the cowards way out and the result had been Abby, strong, independent, fearless Abby, crying herself to sleep while he simply lay there and listened. He questioned what kind of a man he was, how he could have just laid there and let her cry. And he tried to sleep, but failing her twice in one night would not permit that. So he lay there, listening to her breathe and thanking whatever was responsible for the fact that for the time being, Abby was at peace. And when he finally could fight no longer, his steady breathing joined in unison with hers as sleep finally took over.


	3. Chapter 3

_Someone was touching her. She felt knuckles…the back of a hand gently caressing her face. It was soft and soothing. It was relaxing. She sighed and leaned into the touch. _

"_Abby"_

_The same voice that she had been met with on the other side of McGee's front door. The same voice that had been filling her voicemail. The same voice that she had never wanted to hear again. Her eyes shot open and there he was. _

_She panicked. How had he gotten in? The door was locked. And the windows. The police. They were supposed to be patrolling. And Morrison and Davis, they were supposed to be outside. He read her mind's next thought as he watched he fear build behind her eyes. _

"_He can't help you now, Abby." _

_McGee…. where was he? She looked to her left, but he wasn't there. She bolted out of the bed, expecting Mikel to grab her but he remained where he was. _

"_Abby, I already told you, he can't help you." _

_She rushed to the bathroom but he wasn't there. She ran out of the bedroom and looked in the living room, but he wasn't there. She made her way to the kitchen and again it was empty. He wouldn't leave her like this. He wouldn't let Mikel near her, not again._

_And all of a sudden she felt a hand on her back. She turned only to be met with Mikel's sickly sad eyes and twisted smile. She was back in the bedroom, how had that…_

"_He can't help you Abby" _

_Mikel turned her around, and as she saw McGee's lifeless body covered in blood laying in his bed, she finally found her voice._

"_McGee!!" _

He was up like a shot, ready to reach for his weapon but she reached for him first. Her desperate clinging overpowered him momentarily. No one had ever held him that tightly or with that much urgency and need. Her panicked scream had terrified him out of a restless slumber and he soon realized that his heart was beating as hard and as loud as hers. He assessed the situation. Nothing appeared to be out of order in the room, so he came to the conclusion that Mawher was not actually there. But there was Abby. She was panting, shaking and drenched in cold sweat. When he finally composed himself, after thanking God that she was safe in his arms, he spoke in a gentle whisper.

"Shh, Abby, it's okay. It's okay, I'm right here, I promise."

Her grasp around his neck tightened and he held her as closely as he could, crushing her to him. She seemed to have a hold on her shaking, and shaky breaths, similar to the ones he'd heard earlier had replaced the rapid pants that she'd first awoken with. He stroked her hair lovingly, hoping the caresses would soothe her. When she finally spoke, she sounded childlike, her voice cracking.

"McGee,"

"I'm here Abs. Not going anywhere. I promise."

He didn't know how long he held her, but it seemed like forever. He whispered comforting words, assuring her that she was safe, that no one was going to harm her. And when she finally loosened her arms around him, and relaxed somewhat in the hug, he spoke again.

"It was just a dream. Just a bad dream. That's all. Just a nightmare."

"I know," she sniffled, sounding just as childlike as she had before. "I usually like nightmares."

He smiled against her ebony hair and rocked her gently.

"It's all over now, Abby" he said and quickly regretted his words when she pulled back and he saw the fear in her eyes.

"But it's not! He's still out there; it's not over McGee. He can still get to me!"

He cupped her face in his hands roughly and looked into the most beautiful terrified eyes he'd ever seen. He hated seeing her like this. He'd always known her to be strong and independent, ready to take down anything that stood in her way. But as he looked in her eyes, he didn't see the strong, independent woman that he had let himself fall in love with. He saw a scared little girl haunted by a monster that had given her nightmares.

"Not tonight and not while I'm around. Abby, I promise you, he will not hurt you." His eyes met hers, pleading with her as if to say 'believe me.' She threw her arms around his neck and held on tightly, her way of saying 'I do.'


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks so much for all the reviews you guys. I'm glad you all are liking it so far! I'm posting tomorrow's chapter now (there's 9 mins til tomorrow)...somehow I doubt you guys will be complaining...me thinks you'll likey the chapter! Review and let me know... :)

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McGee sighed quietly and looked down at Abby, her head rested on his chest. He knew she wasn't asleep. It'd been almost an hour since she woke from her nightmare and she still hadn't fallen back to sleep. He'd tried everything to get her to rest.

He'd offered to make her warm milk and honey and went on to explain how his grandmother had deemed it to be a "McGee family secret for liquid sleeping pills." He told her of summers he'd spent at his grandparents' home and how it was the only thing that could get him and Sarah to sleep on hot, sticky nights in the early days of August. She declined.

He tried to placate her with movies. He could never fall asleep with the TV on, but he knew from past experience that Abby could sleep in a front row seat at a monster truck rally if she needed to. So he'd offered her two of her favorites, The Princess Bride or The Goonies. She'd sighed and declined. She didn't even laugh when he'd offered to do the truffle shuffle.

He'd offered to triple check the locks on the doors and windows. That one she'd agreed to, but she'd come with him, hanging onto his shoulder with one arm, while keeping the other one wrapped around his waist. Had he not been so mad at himself for making her cry earlier, he would have yelled at her to get off of him, as walking in the dark with a loaded weapon was made exceedingly difficult with someone playing the part of his Siamese twin.

He'd called Morrison and Davis for a sit rep and the exhausted agents informed him that everything was status quo. He'd called his contact in Metro who reported that three patrols had been dispatched and there was no sign of Mawher or the motorcycle that an eyewitness had described him riding away from McGee's apartment. For the time being, it was safe to say that Abby wasn't in danger, but McGee knew she didn't believe it as evidenced by the way her arms were wrapped tightly around him as they laid in the darkness.

Her voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Get to sleep McGee. Gibbs'll kill you if you're tired tomorrow," she said, not moving from her position or loosening her tightly clasped arms. He loved being close to her, but the Vulcan death grip she had around his waist was a little much.

"Pretty sure I'm already dead, Abs. Besides, you're up."

"So what, if I'm up, you're up?" she asked quizzically, not entirely sure what, if any, game he was playing.

"You got it." He responded.

He was exhausted, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. For one thing, he wasn't used to falling asleep with her as close as she was. Often times, they'd ended up in each other's company late at night and after extensively strenuous bouts of... physical activity, they'd fallen asleep together. But Abby had always made one thing clear: she didn't do the sleep and snuggle, or "sluggling" as she'd once referred to it. On occasion, they'd wake up entangled in each other, which often times couldn't be avoided, but he was with her on the sluggling. Too many times he would end up with back pain, or a stiff neck. One person would fall asleep comfortably while the other would lay awake in the darkness suffering from pins and needles. The numb one would try and move, eventually waking the other. In both of their eyes, it wasn't worth the hassle.

"McGee, that's crazy. Just go to sleep." She answered.

"What about you?" he asked, trying desperately to not let her know how tired he actually was.

"Sleep's not happenin' tonight McGee. I'm a lost cause. So you may as well try and get some shut eye for the both of us."

McGee wondered why she was encouraging him to sleep. After all, how could he protect her if he was sleeping? He'd sworn to keep her safe while she was with him and he'd meant everything he'd said. So he once again, denied her request.

"I'm fine. I don't need to sleep."

She looked up at him wide-eyed. Clearly, she'd had a revelation. She released her Vulcan death grip and his kidneys breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed herself up on her arms.

"Oh my god, I'm keeping you up. No wonder you can't sleep, I'm sluggling you. Well, technically not sluggling because I'm not sleeping and you're not sleeping, but if you were to go to sleep and I was still like this, then that'd be considered sluggling and…"

He smiled at her rant and for the first time since they'd gone to bed, he felt the old Abby coming back. He placed a finger to her lips and cut her off.

"Abby, I'm perfectly comfortable and I could easily sleep with you in my arms like this," he began. Her eyes softened at his confession, which made him voice a different reason for refusing to sleep. He could have said, "I'm fine," again or he could have made up some excuse about being afraid of Gibbs. Both were viable tactics, but when he saw her eyes, his excuse was not what either of them had expected him to say.

"Truthfully, I kinda missed laying with you like this. It feels… nice. So just shut up and come here, would you please?" he said pulling her back down against him and wrapping his arms around her. And it was then, when her head rested against his chest that he'd realized what he'd said. It was like his brain had been on a ten second delay with his mouth. And he panicked.

Why had he said that? Sure it was the truth, but why had he brought it up? Why the hell hadn't he just gone with…with anything else? Why had he brought up the fact that he liked having her in his arms? It was almost romantic and after the night Abby had been through, the last thing she needed was to have her overly caffeinated brain processing the meaning behind what he'd said.

"McGee?"

'Here we go,' he thought. He knew she couldn't have let it go.

"Yeah, Abs?" he asked quietly, ready to take the brunt of whatever she was going to dish out. Although, he realized that she was still laying in his arms, so he wasn't quite sure what she was going to serve up.

"Thanks."

He furrowed his brow. What could she possibly be thanking him for? Most women were confusing, but Abby was unlike any other in that department.

"Uhh, for what, exactly?" he asked.

She sighed deeply. "For making me feel better. And for staying up with me."

He smiled as his chin rested against her head. The faint smell of her shampoo wafted into his nose and he couldn't help but be reminded of the occasions when he'd woken up entangled with her after a night of passion. He loved those mornings.

"Anytime Abs," he said, hugging her closer to him.

A moment passed and she spoke again.

"Hey McGee,"

"Mmmhhmm?" he answered, sighing. He'd closed his eyes and the green orbs were thankful for it.

"I'm sorry."

And his eyes were open again; filled with the same confusion as before. What could she be sorry for? He'd been the jerk. He'd been the one who yelled at her and scared her half to death when he ripped his own shirt from her body. He'd been the one who let her cry herself to sleep only to be plagued by a nightmare that had made her more terrified than he'd ever seen. Why was she sorry? He uttered the only possible reason that he could think of.

"For calling me an ass…" She cut off the explicative.

"No, not that. You deserved that."

McGee sighed. 'Yeah, I did' he thought as he awaited her response.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," she said quietly.

And he finally in the pitch darkness of his bedroom he saw the light. He saw everything clearly. As much as he had been blaming himself, she had been blaming herself. He'd been so preoccupied with the fact that he hadn't been there to protect her when Mikel had gotten in that he hadn't even realized that Abby felt completely and solely responsible for everything. He stroked her arm gently as he began to speak.

"Abby, listen to me, none of this is your fault."

"But I shouldn't have opened the door!" she protested.

"And I shouldn't have left you. That was my mistake Abby," he said, tilting her chin towards him with a finger. "A mistake I'm not making again Abs. I'm not leaving you."

He had wanted to kiss her. Badly. His entire body was screaming for him to do so, but as he looked in her eyes, he couldn't do it. Abby needed to feel safe tonight and that was what he was going to do. He would hold her and keep her from harm, but he wouldn't complicate things any more between them. Instead, he placed a long kiss on her forehead. It signified his promise to keep her safe, to put her protection and her feelings of comfort before his own and before anything else. He pulled back and looked into her eyes and knew she understood.

She settled back into his embrace comfortably. He'd told her that he'd missed this…the way they were laying together. And she had too. There was something about his arms being around her that made her feel like nothing in the world could get to her. It reminded her of mornings that she'd woken up intertwined with his body, after a long night. And Abby had to admit... she loved those mornings.

AN: And by the time I made final edits, it's already after midnight here! WooHoo!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry this one's not beta'd. Hit the snooze button a few too many times this morning! Enjoy!

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"Please?" he asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

"No," Her millionth reply.

"Come on, Abs." More begging.

"I said no, McGee." More denying.

"I'm only asking cause I'm concerned." It was the truth.

"Nice try, you're asking because you're nosy." It was also the truth.

"Well, when a woman wakes up screaming my name, my intrigue peaks."

"McGee, the number of times a woman has awoken screaming your name you could count on one finger."

He sighed. "Exactly, the reason you should tell me."

His exhaustion was overpowering him, and he'd hidden it from Abby. All he wanted to do was sleep, and he hated himself for it. He'd promised her he'd stay up, but as the clock approached nearly four in the morning, he was losing the battle that he'd pitted against himself.

At first he'd tried talking to her about anything and everything. It wasn't hard. He and Abby had always been able to have, what he deemed, stimulating conversations. Tony would deem such conversations "geek speak." But the most recent topic had nothing to do with computer forensics, hacking, password cracking or anything of the like. Instead, McGee was trying to get her to open up about her nightmare, hoping that she might feel comfortable enough to try and sleep again.

McGee himself was beyond comfortable. Abby had forfeited her shot at the title for 'World's Most Aggressive Snuggler' a small mercy that his stomach and internal organs had silently thanked her for. And now, as he lay on his side, his face nuzzled against her neck and his arm draped across her stomach, sleep was not only calling his name; it was screaming it. He knew that she was tired, too. It had been hours since her last Caf-Pow and with the events of the day and night behind her, her body was probably begging for unconsciousness. The last time he'd counted she was up to twelve yawns.

"Could you drop it, McGee?" she asked, somewhat incomprehensively, as her enunciation was muddled by her thirteenth yawn.

She didn't know how the subject had turned to her nightmare; she was too tired to remember the conversation topics that led up to it. And she knew she definitely didn't want to talk about it. She knew McGee, inside and out. She knew that if she told him what her dream had encompassed, it would hurt him. He'd believe that she didn't think, subconsciously at least, that he was capable of protecting her.

He wouldn't voice his shortcomings, but he'd inevitably think that she'd have been safer staying with Tony or Gibbs. He wouldn't take into account the fact that he'd saved her by scaring off Mikel. He wouldn't know how much it meant to her that he had let her cling to him the way she had when he triple checked all of the locks on the doors and windows, even though she'd stepped on the heels of his feet more than once. He wouldn't realize that with the simple act of holding her after she'd awoken and staying awake with her, he'd done the impossible. He'd made the monster go away.

No, she wouldn't tell him about her nightmare.

"I'll make it worth your while," he said in the sexiest, sleepiest voice she'd ever heard.

She turned to face him and was met with exhausted green orbs that were barely visible beneath heavily drooping eyelids. 'No wonder he'd said that' Abby thought to herself. 'He's delirious from sleep deprivation.' He blinked furiously, clearly attempting to keep himself awake and Abby realized that sometimes, she couldn't love him more if she tried.

"I'm not sure Gina Marie and her J-Lo Glow would like that very much, McGee." She countered.

He rolled onto his back, and Abby knew that she'd frustrated him with her comment. It had been harmless, and in her mind, his relentless attempts to extract the plotlines of her nightmare deserved a little retaliation. Tit for tat.

"Abby," he sighed. She couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or frustration or a mixture of both. "There is no Gina Marie."

She was about to interject a sarcastic comment about whether his doctor had recommended the J-Lo Glow for a body odor problem like he'd recommended the Feminine Glow, when he continued his explanation with an unwelcome revelation.

"There is a Sarah, though."

Abby's heart sunk at that moment and she wasn't okay with it. She didn't do commitment, she didn't do serious relationships, she certainly didn't do marriage, so why was she feeling utter and complete contempt for this Sarah? She hadn't realized it until then, but she had hated Gina Marie, what with her baking skills and her frilly aprons and her ladybug toothbrush. And she'd felt relief when he admitted that such an individual didn't exist in his life, but that relief had been ripped away and replaced with the exact same hatred for this Sarah.

He'd noticed how quiet she'd gotten, though it had only been a few seconds. He surmised that she had an adorable scowl on her face, the kind that she got when she was jealous of someone. She hadn't admitted feelings of jealousy towards Gina Marie, but he secretly wished that she'd had them. He knew she still cared, but he didn't know how much. Every once and a while, he liked to toe the line and see what he could get away with, see how far he could push her. He realized quickly however, that this was not the night to be playing games with Abby, even though she started it. He didn't need to upset her, although he highly doubted admitting he had a girlfriend would do that. He secretly wished it would though, which made the words flow out of his mouth quicker than he'd intended.

"Sarah, as in, my sister, Sarah."

Abby heaved an unheard sigh of relief as he turned to her and continued.

"She was out drinking last weekend, and decided that her last ten bucks were better spent on shots than on transportation. So, she walked here from the bar. She walked in, threw up all over herself and me, and I gave her one of my shirts to sleep in."

It sounded plausible, for the most part, but one part that troubled Abby.

"And the toothbrush?" she questioned, regarding the mysterious dental accessory. Abby highly doubted that McGee's sister had planned on staying over. And what girl goes to a bar with a toothbrush?

"Alright, you know how I'm slightly afraid of heights?" he asked.

"Slightly? Do you remember the Ferris wheel incident? I thought you were gonna pee yourself McGee."

"Thank you for that," he said rolling his eyes as if he thought she was blowing the whole incident out of proportion. He didn't really think that and at the mere mention of the words "Ferris wheel", he fingers hurt just as they had on that evening from gripping the lap bar so tightly. It was like the carnival version of posttraumatic stress disorder. He continued.

"Anyway, Sarah's obsessive fear of the dentist and of periodontal disease is ten times worse than my fear of heights. She carries a toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash wherever she goes. It has to be hers, it can't be anyone else's." He explained.

There it was. The explanation as to who the mysterious other woman in McGee's life was. Abby wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything aside from saying that she highly respected Sarah's dedication to having healthy teeth and gums. Knowing that was random, even for her, she stayed quiet.

"So…I told you my secret. You tell me yours." He prodded.


	6. Chapter 6

_Walk me down your broken line._

_All you have to do is cry._

"McGee," she started, as she met his eyes. His weary, exhausted eyes, bloodshot from a lack of sleep. Even in the darkness of his bedroom, she could see them pleading with her for an explanation and she knew he was only asking for one reason: to help her. She knew he was worried, but she couldn't tell him. So instead, she curled up next to him, placing her head on his chest.

"Please don't ask me that again," she said quietly.

Tim had never known this side of Abby. She talked about everything, and he'd never known her to keep secrets from him, until Mikel. Mikel Mawher's existence in her life and the impact he'd had on it had been a secret and now his existence in her dreams was something that she was keeping from him too. He didn't like it. He would respect her privacy until the end of time, but this wasn't about privacy. This was about her not being able to open up to him. He'd once accused her of not being able to communicate her feelings, but even this was beyond that. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. He gently rubbed her arm as he spoke.

"Okay. I won't. I'm just worried Abby."

"You don't need to worry, I'm fine." She replied.

"Even you don't believe that lie, Abs," he said softly.

"I'm not lying Tim, I'm fine," she said, repeating her plea. She really wanted him to stop and she used his first name almost as a warning signal. He was getting dangerously close to uncharted waters. She'd said no as many ways as she possibly could and yet he kept pushing the issue.

"If you say so," he answered. He knew that she wasn't fine. She was nowhere near fine. The fact that she had called him by his first name had been a warning for him to back off, he knew that much. But he also knew that if she didn't open up about it, she'd probably lose more than just sleep over it. So, bracing himself for the wrath of Abby, he pushed again.

"It's just that I think…"

As predicted, an angry Abby surfaced. She sat up in the bed and turned to face him.

"McGee, I asked you to drop it! Would you just stop it already? I don't want to talk about it. How the hell is that so hard to understand?"

He was close. She'd break soon enough, and fall to pieces and he'd be there to gather them. It wasn't that he wanted to hurt her. The last thing in the world he wanted was to see her in pain. But he knew that this was a hurdle she had to get over. She needed to stop shutting the world out. She needed to stop shutting him out. And he was close to getting her to let him in.

"Abby, why won't you talk to me?" he pleaded.

"I don't want to! God, how many times do I have to say that to make you understand it?" she yelled at him.

"I don't understand it Abby! It was a dream. You're a forensic scientist, you know dreams aren't real, you know they can't…" McGee was unable to finish as Abby finally caved.

"He killed you!" she yelled, as her eyes began to cloud over with tears. "Are you happy McGee? He killed you. My dream was that you were dead. I turned to you for protection and you were lying right there, dead! That's why I woke up and screamed your name and that's why I've been clinging to you all night."

Tears were running freely down her cheeks, and although McGee had technically caused them, he didn't feel as guilty as he had before. Because this was what she needed. This was her release. And now, he could help her.

Gathering her in his arms, he rocked her gently. He let her sob against him as he rubbed her back, and ran his fingers through her hair. He worked on soothing her physically first and when he thought she was okay he pulled back and looked into her weary wet eyes. As he wiped a tear from her cheek, he left his hand there to linger as he spoke. He knew the words he chose mattered, so he chose them carefully.

"I wouldn't let him live to hurt me. Because if I saw him, I'd kill him for you hurting you."

Another tear trickled down her cheek. He caught it with the pad of his thumb and continued.

"I told you before, that I'm not going anywhere. I meant it. No one can keep me away from you. I don't care what he does, what anyone does, I'm here. And this is where I'm staying. For as long as I live Abby, I will protect you."

Abby looked into his eyes and saw something she didn't expect. Determination. There was not one hint of self-doubt, or disappointment. He wasn't hurt by the conscious revelation she'd made about what her subconscious thought. He had simply told her it was wrong. And it was. She knew he could protect her. He'd kept her safe all night. And she'd felt safest when she was in his embrace.

"I love you, McGee."

Her admission startled the both of them, but he didn't react. Instead, he held gaze and assured her with his eyes that everything was okay. She knew it was. It always was, when they were together. She touched her lips gently to his. They'd kissed before, much more passionately, much more intensely, and much more fervently. But nothing was like this kiss. The purity of the emotion behind it burned their lips like fire, even after they'd broken just seconds later.

McGee touched his forehead to hers, his eyes still closed. Once again, Abby had left him breathless. He wanted to stay in the moment forever, but her words pulled him from his thoughts.

"Let's get to sleep."

* * *

This is where is ends for now...I might be able to squeeze out one more chapter this weekend, but I can't make any promises! Let me know if you all enjoyed it...


	7. Chapter 7

It was the most obnoxious sound he had ever heard and it was getting louder. It was pulling him from his realm of unconsciousness, until he finally reached the brink. And as he fumbled, repeatedly smacking anything that was in the general direction, he seriously considered grabbing his weapon and just shooting the damn thing. Timothy McGee hated alarm clocks.

She shifted against his shoulder, nuzzled herself closer to him and he couldn't help but be thankful for her welcomed warmth. This was how he liked to wake up. Snuggled under his warm comforter, entangled with Abby as she rested her head against his heart. His eyes hurt to be open, but he looked down at her sleeping form and smiled. He didn't want to wake her. He didn't want to be awake, himself, but he knew that facing the day was inevitable. He knew that he'd be reamed by Gibbs when he arrived at the office, but he also knew he'd be shot by Gibbs if he told him he was taking the day to stay in bed with Abby. The former seemed far less painful and so he went about the difficult task of waking her.

His voice was soothing. He was whispering her name. She felt his hard t-shirt clad chest beneath her head. Her legs were intertwined with his. His fingers were lightly rubbing her arm. She adored the warmth of his body and she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this comfortable. She didn't want to move.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled against him, as she draped her arm across his stomach. She hadn't even bothered opening her eyes.

"Abby, I already let you have five more minutes. Now come on, we've gotta get ready," he said, attempting to be stern.

"McGee, come on I barely slept." she said drowsily. The eyes were still not open.

He hated having to wake her, especially because she was right; she barely slept. After the night that she'd had, she deserved to sleep and he knew it. It seemed somewhat ironic, that after he'd spent hours trying to get her to sleep, shortly after she finally did he was trying to take that needed rest away from her.

"I know," he said quietly, still rubbing her arm. "But Gibbs will kill us both if we're late."

"Won't kill me. I'm his favorite," she mumbled.

McGee rolled his eyes, knowing that she was right. She was clearly the favorite out of all of them. Abby was like the youngest daughter; a princess who could do no wrong in the eyes of her father. And it was Gibbs and Abby's father/daughter type relationship that had always made Tim slightly afraid of the older man. He didn't fear him as a boss, but as a father. When Tim and Abby were together, Gibbs always managed to remind him of the type of dad who'd put the fear of God in any man who dared date his daughter. He'd be the type who would casually polish his gun while making polite chitchat about the weather. Gibbs would be as a father, just as he was an investigator: one of the scariest SOB's to walk the face of the earth.

"Yeah, but I'm not and I rather not have my life end today."

Abby knew that he was probably right, but she was determined to get just five more minutes. Lying in Tim's arms was one of the few good things that she had going for her and it made her feel safe. Snuggling under his blankets, entangled with him in the early hours of the morning was the perfect distraction from the mess that her life had become. She could drift off and listen to nothing but the sound of his heart beating in time with her own. When she was in Tim's arms there was no Mikel Mawher. There was no threat. There was no danger. There was only her and McGee. And that was exactly how she liked it. Without warning, she launched her upper body onto his chest, fully preventing him from getting up. She engulfed him in a hug; similar to the one she'd given him after her nightmare.

McGee rolled his eyes. She wasn't letting up. He'd felt bad enough about having to wake her, and he would always put her feelings above his own but after thinking about Gibbs casually polishing his gun, his feelings encompassed a large amount of terror. He silently relented to her request of five more minutes and delicately rubbed her back. His brow furrowed when he felt something unexpected beneath the fabric of her shirt. His hand settled on the spot, and he ran his fingers back and forth over it gently, as he questioned her.

"Abs, are you wearing a…"

Abby sat up and cut him off before he could finish his question. Her eyes were wide with shock. He was slightly confused at her reaction to his curiosity, but at least she was up.

"McGee! Talk about keeping your hands to yourself!" she uttered.

"What?" he asked bemused that this was the same woman whose eyes had sparkled with the thought of being tied up less than twelve hours prior. He continued.

"I happen to know for a fact, that you cannot sleep in a bra."

"I most certainly can too!" Abby responded. She was enjoying this little game.

"Did you or did you not once say, after taking it off, 'free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, they're free at last'?"

"Totally taken out of context McGee." He smiled at her statement, knowing that round one was going to him. But Abby would not be defeated so easily. She narrowed her eyes seductively and leaned in. When she was just mere inches from his face, she spoke in a whisper.

"I wouldn't be questioning one's bed time apparel, Agent McGee," she said, sexily as she ran her hand across his thigh.

"Hey! Excuse me! Now who's not keeping their hands to themselves?" he questioned, grabbing her hand before it reached a certain part of his anatomy. They were late enough already.

Her eyes reverted from seductive to sparkling, but McGee knew if he kissed her, Gibbs would kill him. Somehow Gibbs would know, and he would kill him.

"You're wearing sweatpants McGee," Abby laughed.

"So?"

"So…you never wear sweat pants to bed. Always boxers," she explained as she leaned back against the pillows on her side of the bed. The eyes switched to seductive for a second as she added, "Well, not always. Sometimes you wear noth.."

He put his hand up, alerting her not to go there and cut her off.

"Abby, I'm fine in sweatpants." He responded.

"Fine, if you want to roast your McNuggets, it's on you." She replied.

"Abby! My Mc…my…I'm perfectly comfortable! And did you happen to think that maybe the reason you couldn't get comfortable last night had something to do with your bra?"

"Yeah, that was it McGee. Had nothing to do with my crazy ex-boyfriend stalking me, attacking me and trying to kill me. It was the bra." She responded sarcastically.

Even McGee had to admit that it was one of the stupidest things he'd come up with, but he didn't have the chance to respond. Abby read the look on his face and quickly remedied the situation with a kiss. He knew it was a bad idea, but he kissed her back anyway. And as if on cue, his cell phone rang.

His eyes shot open, knowing that it had to be Gibbs. It was bad enough that they were going to be late, but Gibbs' fatherly spidey sense had been triggered the moment that Abby had brushed her lips with his.

"A-agent McGee," he sputtered off into the phone. It seemed like years since he'd stuttered out of fear from Gibbs.

"Good morning sunshine, did you have a pleasant sleep?" the voice on the other end answered. Thankfully, it wasn't Gibbs and as much of a jerk Agent Davis could be, McGee was still extremely thankful to hear his voice.

"Davis." He sighed out of relief.

"It's oh six forty five McGee, where the hell are you and Scuito? I missed my anniversary to sit outside your apartment for nothing, and I'm due at headquarters at oh eight hundred. I'd like to see my wife before she decides to divorce me."

McGee had propelled himself upwards so fast at the sound of Davis' words that he practically knocked Abby over. Six forty five? When had that happened? How had that happened? How many five more minutes had he granted her and how long was that kiss?

"Crap, I didn't realize it was that late," he began and Davis cut him off with a sarcastic response.

"Ever heard of an alarm clock?"

McGee was out of his bed, and grabbing clothes from the closet. He was thankful enough, that being of the male gender, he had the ability to get dressed and ready in mere minutes. Unlike Davis, McGee and Abby reported in at seven thirty, which gave him only forty five minutes to get dressed and get them both there.

"The outside of the building is secure right, no sign of him?" McGee asked the grumpy, sleep-deprived agent.

"As it has been since we got here." Came the curt response.

"Okay, then, consider yourselves off-duty. Go see your wife." McGee stated, sounding like he was in control. Technically, he was the agent in charge of Abby's protection detail and he wanted at least some respect from the other agents. What he got, was a clicking sound, as Davis hung up on him without saying another word.

"Jackass," McGee muttered and turned back towards his bed, which was now empty. He looked quickly to see that his bathroom door was closed, and Abby's bag was gone. He said a silent prayer that she wouldn't be in there long, and began to get dressed. He'd barely finished tying his tie, before she emerged completely dressed and ready to go.

She never ceased to amaze him. She could be as stubborn as a bull, and then like the flick of a switch, she'd change her mind. He'd tried as hard as he could to get her to get out of bed, and now she was standing before him, impatiently tapping her foot. He smiled and walked over to her, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him.

"I love you," he whispered and kissed her deeply. At that moment, he didn't care if Gibbs caught him or not. All that mattered was Abby.

She broke the kiss, and pointed towards the bathroom. "Go. Come on, if you hurry, we'll be on time."

McGee headed into the bathroom and was done in a matter of five minutes. He emerged, with a smile on his face. He made his way to his way out of his bedroom and leaned on the doorframe, admiring the sight of Abby, playing computer games. He'd been gone only five minutes but he was sure she'd already made more progress on that game in five minutes than he'd made in five hours. She was persistent, he had to give her that much. She turned to see him, casually admiring her and she turned off the computer.

"McGee! What are you standing around for, come on let's go!" she stated impatiently, as she rushed over and grabbed his hand.

"Forgetting anything, Abs?" he asked, smirking, as she pulled him towards the doorway.

"Nope," she responded.

"You sure?" he asked again.

"Yep." She replied.

"Absolutely positive?" he asked.

"One hundred percent, now are we going or what?" she asked.

"Toothbrush is in the bathroom, Abby," he said.

Abby thought of the toothbrush and all of the trouble it had started, and all the wonderful things that had come out of that trouble. She smiled.

"Leave it."

* * *

AN: I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews...now if only I can finish A Dime A Dozen, I'll be golden!


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